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{{Short description|Former German coin or note (9th century-2002)}}
{{For|the surname|Pfennig (surname)}}
[[Image:PRU001.JPG|thumb|right|[[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]: 1 pfenning 1852. The [[obverse and reverse|obverse]] reads: 360 [make up] one [[Prussian thaler|thaler]].]]
[[Image:10 Pfennig coin Deutsches Reich 1917.jpg|thumb|right|[[German Empire]]: 10 pfennig iron coin 1917]]

The '''pfennig''' ({{IPA|de|ˈpfɛnɪç|lang|De-Pfennig.ogg}}; <small>{{abbr|pl|plural}}.</small>&nbsp;'pfennigs' or 'pfennige' {{pronunciation|De-Pfennige.ogg|listen|(|help=no}}; [[currency symbol|symbol]] pf or ₰) or '''penny''' is a former [[Germany|German]] coin or note, which was an official currency from the 9th century until the introduction of the [[euro]] in 2002. While a valuable coin during the Middle Ages, it lost its value through the years and was the minor coin of the [[Mark (money)|Mark]] currencies in the [[German Reich]], [[West Germany]] and [[East Germany]], and the [[German reunification|reunified]] [[Germany]] until the introduction of the euro. Pfennig was also the name of the subunit of the [[Danzig mark]] (1922–1923) and the [[Danzig gulden]] (1923–1939) in the [[Free City of Danzig]] (modern [[Gdańsk]], [[Poland]]).

{{anchor|Etymology}}

== Overview ==
=== Name ===
The word ''Pfennig'' (replacing the ''denarius'' or ''denarius'' as a low-denomination silver coin) can be traced back to the 8th century and also became known as the ''Penning'', ''Panni(n)g '', ''Pfenni(n)c'', ''Pfending'' and by other names, e.g. in [[Prussia]] until 1873, ''Pfenning''.{{efn|In this case, the term ''Pfenning'' served to differentiate it from the pfennig used before 1821, when the ''[[thaler]]'' was still worth 24 [[Guter Groschen|(good) groschen]] or 288 pfennigs and not 30 silver groschen as it was from 1821 which was worth 360 ''pfennings''.}} The ''-ing''- or ''-inc'' suffix was used, in addition to ''-ung'', the formation of affiliation [[substantive]]s and also appears in other coin denominations, for example in the ''[[schilling (unit)|schilling]]''. Beyond that, its origin has not been clarified, but an early borrowing from the Latin ''pondus'' ("weight", cf. [[pound (currency)|pound]]) is possible.<ref>Kluge (2011).</ref> According to an 1848 Leipzig trade lexicon the name pfennig was "originally the general name of ''every'' coin in Germany, which is supposed to be derived from the hollow coins or [[bracteates]]s, because these had the shape of a ''pan''" (i.e. they were bent)."<ref>Verein Gelehrter und praktischer Kaufleute: ''Handelslexicon …'', Verlag Ernst Schäfer, Leipzig 1847</ref>

The word ''Pfennig'' is etymologically related to the English [[penny]], the [[Swedish penning]], which was also model for the Finnish [[Finnish markka|penni]] (1860&ndash;2001), the Estonian [[Estonian mark|penn]] (1918&ndash;1927), the [[Polish fenig]] (1917&ndash;1918), the Lithuanian word for money ''pinigai'' and the [[Bosnia and Herzegovina pfenig|pfenig (fening)]] of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998&ndash;today). The /pf/ rather than /p/ in both pronunciation and spelling is a result of the [[High German consonant shift]] or second Germanic sound shift which affected the High German dialects of what is now southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. High German (and to some extent Central German) dialects form the basis for modern [[Standard German]].

=== Related currencies ===
The pfennig was the progenitor of a whole series of later coin denominations, which became parts or multiples of the later pfennig. These include the ''[[groschen]]'' ("big [pfennig]", from the Latin ''grossus'' "big, thick" ), ''Angster'' ("narrow [pfennig]", from the Latin ''angustus'' "narrow, thin"), ''[[Albus (coin)|Albus]]'' ("white [pfennig]", from the Latin ''albus'' "white"; initially equivalent to a ''Groschen''), ''[[Witte (coin)|Witte]]'' ("white [pfennig]"), ''[[Rappen]]'' ("pfennig with a raven"), ''[[Stäbler (coin)|Stäbler]]'' ("pfennig with the Basle staff"), ''[[Heller (coin)|Heller]]'' ("Haller [pfennig]"), ''Schwaren'' ("heavy [pfennig]") etc.

There were also "light pfennigs" (''leichte Pfennige''), "good pfennigs" (''gute Pfennige'') or "custom pfennigs" (''[[Zollpfennig]]e''), which had this name on the coin. Some types of pfennig were given special names in the vernacular, such as the Erfurt "coffin pfennig" (''Sargpfennig'').{{efn|he Erfurt ''Sargpfennigs'' were allegedly minted from the coffins containing silver of Catholic saints around 1525 during [[the Reformation]] period and some had corresponding symbolism, depicting a skull and crossbones.}}

==Sign==
[[File:Kurrent D.svg|thumb|Kurrent {{angbr|d}} and {{angbr|D}}.]]
As a currency sign a variation of the minuscule letter 'd' for '[[denarius]]' in [[Kurrent|German Kurrent script]] was modified so the terminal end of the minuscule Kurrent 'd', that trailed at the top of the [[Ascender (typography)|ascender]] in an anticlockwise loop, was instead brought down behind the right of the ascender, to form a [[descender]], that hooked clockwise, thus making it a distinct symbol, different from any of the other Kurrent letters in its own right: <big>₰</big>.

The pfennig symbol has nearly fallen out of use since the 1950s, with the demise and eventual abolition of the [[German Reichsmark|Reichsmark]] with its ''Reichspfennig'', as well as the [[Antiqua-Fraktur dispute|abolition of Kurrent]] by the [[Nazism|Nazis]] on 3 January 1941, thus making it increasingly cryptic as familiarity with Kurrent script has decreased since that time. The symbol is encoded in Unicode at {{unichar|20B0|GERMAN PENNY SIGN}}.

Unicode has {{unichar|3338}}, a square combination of {{lang|ja|ペニヒ}} ({{Transliteration|ja|penihi}}), Japanese for "pfennig", for [[CJK Compatibility|compatibility with earlier Japanese character sets]].

== History ==
=== Middle Ages ===
[[File:Denier Charlemagne1.jpg|thumb|Carolingian {{lang|la|denarius}} ({{langx|fr|denier}})]]
[[File:Regensburger Pfennig.jpg|thumb|Regensburg pfennig, 10th century]]
Charlemagne established, in the so-called ''[[Carolingian monetary system|Carolingian coin standard]]'', that from a [[Charlemagne|Carolingian {{lang|de|cat=no|Pfund}}]] ("pound") of [[silver]], 240 coins were to be minted (corresponding to about 1.7&nbsp;g of silver per coin). The coin was called in the Latin language of the time, a {{lang|la|[[denarius]]}} after the old Roman coin (see [[Sachsenpfennig#Coin standard|{{lang|de|cat=no|Sachsenpfennig}} § Coin standard]]). From this coin evolved later the French {{lang|it|[[Denier (coin)|denier]]}} and the Italian {{lang|it|denaro}}. The Arabic word {{lang|ar-Latn|dinar}} ({{lang|ar|دينار}}) can also be traced back to the Latin word {{lang|la|denarius}}. In the Old High German language, the {{lang|la|denarius}} was already called the {{lang|de|pfennig}} ({{lang|goh|"phenninc"}}) at the time of Charlemagne. In North German and Dutch-speaking countries it was later called a {{lang|nl|Penning}} and in England the [[Penny (coin)|penny]]. The term {{lang|ang|paenig}} for the Roman {{lang|la|denarius}} first appeared in England around 765, when King [[Offa of Mercia#Coinage|Offa]] had {{lang|la|denarii}} struck out of silver based on the Carolingian model. This explains the abbreviation "d" as in {{lang|la|denarius}}, which was used for the "old" penny in the United Kingdom until 1971. The early pfennig weighed around 1.3g to 2g, its weight tending to steadily decrease over the centuries. The widespread fluctuations in the weight of the same pfennigs were partly due to the manufacturing process, with the heavier pfennig specimens being sought out by private individuals in accordance with [[Gresham's law]]. At that time and even partly up to modern times, it was the total weight of a certain number of similar pfennigs that had to be right for larger payments, a practice that tended to promote deviating exchange rates between smaller and larger coin denominations and which found its climax in the [[Kipper and Wipper era]]; for example, the terms {{lang|de|[[Old weights and measures (German-speaking countries)#Schock|Schockpfennig]]}} (= 60 pf), {{lang|de|[[Schock (coin)|Schockgroschen]]}} or "pound sterling" (= 240 d).

From the 8th to the 13th century, the pfennig (or {{lang|la|denarius}}) consisted of high-quality silver, and was the only denomination in circulation, other units being used purely as arithmetic units,<ref>Helmut Kahnt, Bernd Knorr (1986). ''Old measures, coins and weights. A lexicon'' (licence ed.). Leipzig: Bibliographic Institute. Mannheim/Vienna/Zurich 1987. {{ISBN|3-411-02148-9}}. p. 394.</ref> and it thus had a high purchasing power. As a result, this era is also called the {{lang|de|Pfennigzeit}} ("pfennig era") in numismatics. Only very rarely were half-pfennigs minted, which were also known as [[Obolus|''obole'']] or ''[[scherf]]''.

[[File:Rottweil1200.jpg|thumb|Rottweil pfennig, 1200–1220]]
Around 1200, the pfennig was the largest and only German silver denomination, apart from imported foreign gold and silver coins. Smaller denominations were created by cutting the coins in half or quarters, producing something called [[hacksilver]], which was very easy to do with the one-sided thin hollow pfennigs or {{lang|nl|strubben}}, which were then referred to as [[bracteate]]s from the 17th century. The "change" that was often still required for price and quantity equalization by buyers and sellers on the city markets were small amounts of natural produce and goods that were included in the overall purchase process.

Around 1200, the different [[mint lords]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] minted their [[regional pfennig]]s to very different standards in terms of [[gross weight|gross]] and [[fine weight]]s, because the [[Kingdom of Germany|German kingdom]] handed over [[minting rights]] or did not enforce them as a uniform imperial standard consistently. As a result, many regional pfennigs with different exchange rates arose over time. Somes coins had a black tint due to the large addition of copper, and so a distinction was made between white pfennigs ({{lang|goh|Wißpennig}},<!--modern spelling would be "Weiß-"--> {{lang|la|Albus}}, {{lang|de|Silberpfennig}}) and black pfennigs ({{lang|de|Kupferpfennig}} = "copper pfennig"). A well-known example is the {{lang|de|Haller Pfennig}}, which was later legally defined as a {{lang|de|[[Heller (coin)|heller]]}} or {{lang|de|haller}} in subsequent imperial coinage regulations as a separate denomination valued at two to a pfennig until the 19th century e.g. in Bavaria. Even the early {{lang|de|hellers}} ({{lang|de|Händleinheller}}) had a noticeable addition of copper, so that the {{lang|de|heller}} very quickly became the first German "pure" copper coin.

The pfennigs of the Schinderling period, the black pfennigs, were minted from 1457 mainly in southern Germany, especially in Austria and Bavaria, with almost no silver. The so-called {{lang|de|Böse Halser}} ("Evil Halser") of this time essentially consisted of a copper-tin alloy. The period of the so-called {{lang|de|Schinderling}} ended with the phasing out of the 5-lot pfennigs in 1460. The black pfennigs undermined confidence in Austria's silver currency for a long time.<ref>Helmut Friedl (2003). ''Die Münzen der Landgrafen von Leuchtenberg und Grafen von Hals.'' Regenstauf. p. 12.</ref><ref>Heinz Fengler, Gerd Gierow, Willy Unger (1976). ''transpress-Lexikon Numismatik.'' Berlin. p. 343.</ref>

[[File:Schüsselpfennig, Schweiz, St. Gallen, CNG.jpg|thumb|{{lang|de|[[Schüsselpfennig]]}}, St. Gallen, [[coin clipping|clipped]]]]
[[File:Lilienpfennig, Straßburg, frühes 14. Jh., CNG.PNG|thumb|upright=0.4|{{lang|de|[[Lilienpfennig]]}}, Strasbourg]]
[[File:Schüsselpfennig um 1400 Pfalz.jpg|thumb|upright=0.4|Palatine {{lang|de|[[Weckeler]]}}]]

For the successful introduction of the silver {{lang|de|[[groschen]]}} currency, which replaced the regional pfennig, sufficient coins of lower denomination had to be available. The silver-rich Saxon dukes, for example, had hollow pfennigs and hollow hellers minted at [[Gotha]] and [[Langensalza]] to prescribed coinage ordinances. However, the constant reduction in the silver content of the groschen meant that new ordinances to reduce the silver content of the pfennigs that the cities sometimes minted themselves.

The {{lang|de|[[Schüsselpfennig]]}} ("bowl pfennig") minted from 1374 to the 18th century is a concave pfennig, stamped on one side only, that was minted from 1374 onwards, and was so called due to its minting technique. It was created by stamping using one upper die only onto a larger [[planchet]]. As a result, the rim of the coin was pressed upwards into the shape of a bowl or plate.<ref>Helmut Kahnt (2005). {{lang|de|Das große Münzlexikon von A bis Z}}. Regenstauf: Battenberg Gietl. p. 429.</ref>

The forerunners of the {{lang|de|Schüsselpfennig}} were the one-sided silver {{lang|de|Engelpfennigs}} ({{literal translation|angel penny}}) and {{lang|de|[[Lilienpfennig]]}} ({{literal translation|lily penny}}) of the [[Free Imperial City]] [[Strasbourg]] and the [[Trier]] pfennigs, which were being minted as early as the beginning of the 14th century.<ref>Helmut Kahnt (2005). {{lang|de|Das große Münzlexikon von A bis Z}}. Regenstauf: Battenberg Gietl. p. 429.</ref> They are so-called {{lang|de|ewiger Pfennige}} ("eternal pfennigs"), since unlike most [[bracteate]]s, they did not have to be exchanged regularly for a fee.

The so-called Palatine {{lang|de|[[Weckeler]]}}, named after its depiction of a lozenged shield or [[heraldic lozenge]] ({{langx|de|Wecke}}), was minted from about 1390. From the 15th century, a characteristic feature of the pfennig was its curved shape and a prominent circle of beads, which surrounded the coin image. The pearl circle does not occur in the later {{lang|de|[[Schüsselpfennig]]}} minted from the 16th to the 18th century.<ref>"Weckler". In Helmut Kahnt (2005). {{lang|de|Das große Münzlexikon von A bis Z}}. Regenstauf: Battenberg Gietl. p. 519.</ref>

=== Pricing examples from the Saxon-Thuringian region ===
Krug gives the following examples of what could be bought for pfennigs in regions of [[Duchy of Saxony|Saxony]] and [[Duchy of Thuringia|Thuringia]]:<ref>Gerhard Krug (1974). {{lang|de|Die meißnisch-sächsischen Groschen 1338–1500}}. Berlin. p. 17.</ref>
{|
| 1324
| a chicken: 2 pfennigs
|-
|
| a lamb's belly: 8 pfennigs
|-
| pre-1382
| a fattened pig: 360 pfennigs
|-
|
|a young pig: 180 pfennigs
|-
| 1382
| a [[schock (unit)|schock]] (60)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simmonds |first=P. L. |url=http://archive.org/details/b21780535 |title=The commercial dictionary of trade products: manufacturing and technical terms, moneys, weights, and measures of all countries |date=1892 |location=London; New York |publisher=George Routledge and Sons |page=332}}</ref> of eggs: 10 pfennigs
|-
|
| 8 [[Ell (unit)|ells]] of linen cloth: 54 pfennigs
|-
|
| a tub ({{lang|de|Hafen}}) of butter: 40 pfennigs
|-
|
| a pat of fresh butter: 3 pfennigs
|-
| 1395
| six chickens: 48 pfennigs
|}

The  pfennigs concerned were usually the coins from the Freiberg state mint.

=== Modern period ===
==== 17th and 18th centuries ====
By the late 17th century, the pfennigs had [[Debasement|lost]] most of their value. The last pfennig coins containing traces of silver are rarities minted in 1805. Effectively, by the end of the 17th century the pfennig had been reduced to a pure copper coin. In the 18th century, some German mints minted copper and [[billon (alloy)|billon]] pfennigs at around the same time. From the middle of the 18th century, however, the proportion of billon coins compared to pure copper pfennig coins tended to decrease, which was also reflected in the 2 to 4 pfennig coins. The last silver-containing 1 pfennig coins with the designation "Pfenig" were minted in Germany in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld from 1808 to 1811 and date stamped 1808 and are rare.<ref>Paul Arnold, Harald Küthmann, Dirk Steinhilber and Dieter Faßbender (2008). ''Big German Coin Catalogue from 1800 to Today'', 23rd ed. Battenberg, p. 399; No. 140. {{ISBN|978-3-86646-019-5}}</ref> Even the copper pfennigs were not all of the same value. Bremen therefore called its pfennigs {{lang|nds|sware penninge}} ("heavy pfennigs")<ref>Herbert Rittmann (Match 1971). {{lang|de|italic=no|"Über die Entwicklung des Geldwesens der Stadt Bremen"}}. In {{lang|de|Geldgeschichtliche Nachrichten}} 22. pp. 61–66</ref> for which the common name {{lang|nds|Schwaren}} prevailed.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Bremer Schwaren.JPG|Bremen {{lang|nds|Schwaren}}, 1797, obverse
File:Bremer Schwaren Rv.JPG|{{lang|nds|Schwaren}}, 1797, reverse
</gallery>

Some renowned coins made of copper are the {{lang|de|Häller}} or {{lang|de|Haller pfennig}} of [[Schwäbisch Hall]], some centuries later called [[Heller (money)|Heller]], and minted throughout the country, and the {{lang|de|[[Kreuzer]]}} (from {{lang|de|Kreuz}}, the cross minted on the coins), minted in [[Austria]], [[Switzerland]], and some regions of [[Upper Germany]].

==== 19th and 20th centuries ====
Until 1821, various smaller coin systems were in use in the Prussian provinces. Only in the provinces of Brandenburg and Westphalia was the pfennig the smallest coin in terms of value. With the Prussian small coin reform of 1821, a uniform small coin system was introduced for all Prussian provinces. To distinguish it from the pfennigs before the reform, the new denomination was called {{lang|de|Pfenning}}. One thaler was no longer 288 pfennigs, but 360 {{lang|de|Pfennings}}. This new ratio was also reflected on the side with the coat of arms: {{small|{{lang|de|italic=no|360 EINEN THALER}}}}. Other states, such as [[Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]], minted {{frac|1|1|2}} pfennig coins well into the 19th century.

In the southern German states (Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria including the Palatinate, Saxony, and other smaller ones), the value of the {{lang|de|Pfenni(n)g}} was fixed at 1/240 of a {{lang|de|Gulden}} by the coinage act of 1506 and that remained in force until 1871. (1 {{lang|de|Gulden}} = 60 {{lang|de|Kreuzer}}, 1 {{lang|de|Kreuzer}} = 4 {{lang|de|Pfenning}}, 1 {{lang|de|Pfenning}} = 2 {{lang|de|Heller}}.) The half-pfennig ({{lang|de|Heller}}) was the only coin of the {{lang|de|Gulden}} period that remained officially valid after the introduction of the imperial currency (because of the beer tax in Bavaria).

<gallery mode="packed">
Pfennnig_1811_Ws.JPG|Brandenburg pfennig of 1811, reverse
Pfennig_1811_Rs.JPG|Brandenburg pfennig of 1811, obverse
Pfenning_1821_Ws.JPG|Prussian {{lang|de|Pfenning}} of 1821, reverse
Pfenning_1821_Rs.JPG|Prussian {{lang|de|Pfenning}} of 1821, obverse
Eineinhalbpfennig_1830_Av.JPG|{{frac|1|1|2}} pfennig of 1830, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, reverse
Eineinhalbpfennig_1830_Rv.JPG|{{frac|1|1|2}} pfennig of 1830, obverse
</gallery>

In some southern German states, the term {{lang|de|Heller}} was a synonym for the pfennig (e.g. in the city of Frankfurt and in the Duchy of Nassau). In Bavaria, the heller was half a penny.

[[File:1-Pfennig-Coin-Deutsches-Reich-1898-A-JR-4363-4364.jpg|thumb|A 1 pfennig coin under the [[Mark (1871)|Goldmark]] ([[German Empire]])]]
The [[German gold mark|gold mark]], introduced by the [[German Coinage Act]] of 1871, was the currency of the newly founded [[German Empire]], divided into 100 pfennigs. This partition was retained through all German currencies (including the {{lang|de|[[Rentenmark|Rentenpfennig]]}}, the {{lang|de|[[Reichsmark|Reichspfennig]]}}, and the pfennig of the [[Deutsche Mark]]) until 2001.

[[File:Pfennig.jpg|thumb|German Empire: 25 pfennig iron coin 1918. The word on the top means "wartime money".]]
The last West German one- and two-pfennig coins were steel with a copper coating. The five- and ten-pfennig coins were steel with a brass coating. The latter was called a [[Groschen]], while the five-pfennig coin, half a groschen, was regionally (east of the river [[Elbe]]) also referred to as the {{lang|de|Sechser}} ({{literal translation|en|sixer}}<!--Don't link to the article on the sterling sixpence. That's a completely unrelated topic.-->), deriving from the former duodecimal division of the groschen. All four coins had their value imprinted on the obverse and an oak tree on the reverse.

The coins of the [[East German mark]] were made of aluminium, except for the 20 pfennig coin, which was made of an aluminium copper alloy.

<gallery>
File:10fenigow gdansk1932.jpg|[[Free City of Danzig]]: 10 pfennig 1932
File:10 Reichspfennig 1937.jpg|[[Nazi Germany]]: 10 {{lang|de|Reichspfennig}} coin, 1937
File:Pfennig 1950 Deutschland.jpg|[[West Germany]]: 1 pfennig coin, 1950
File:1 Pfennig DDR 1979.JPG|[[East Germany]]: 1 pfennig coin, 1979
File:10 German Pfennig.jpg|10 pfennig coin used in the Federal Republic of Germany<!--i.e. West Germany before reunification and reunified Germany--> until 2001
</gallery>

==Pfennig since the euro==
After the introduction of the euro, some, mainly older, Germans tend to use the term pfennig instead of cent for the copper-coloured coins (and the term Groschen for the 10-cents-coin).{{citation needed|date=July 2011}}

==Unicode==
The pfennig ligature is defined and coded in [[Unicode]] as follows:

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 	International [[Character encoding| Character encoding standard]] [[Unicode]]
|- bgcolor=#BBCCFF
! Character
! Unicode<br /><small>Position</small>
! Unicode<br /><small>Title</small>
! HTML<br /><small>hexadecimal</small>
! HTML<br /><small>decimal</small>
|-
| style="text-align:center" |₰
| style="text-align:center" |U+20B0
| German penny sign
| style="text-align:center" | &amp;#x20B0;
| style="text-align:center" | &amp;#8368;
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Money}}

=== General ===
* [[Bracteate]]
* [[Penny]]
* [[French denier|Denier]], the French penny
* [[Coinage of Saxony]]

=== Types of pfennig ===

* ''[[Lilienpfennig]]''
* [[Regional pfennig]]
* ''[[Roter Seufzer]]''
* ''[[Sachsenpfennig]]''
* ''[[Schüsselpfennig]]''
* ''[[Weckelerpfennig]]''

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Pfennig}}
{{Currency signs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Currencies of Germany]]
[[Category:Coins]]
[[Category:Currency symbols]]
[[Category:Pfennig| ]]